Painting guide kit

ABSTRACT

An art kit is described comprising art board, panel or canvas, paints, guide sheets which contain representation of objects in paintings and at least one sheet containing a visual depiction of instructions for mixing paints to the canvas. The instructions are employed to instruct novice artists in the techniques of mixing paints to achieve selected colors and in applying paint to canvas, art board or panel.

United States Patent 1191 Longenecker 1 Nov. 26, 1974 PAINTING GUIDE KIT [76] Inventor: Lineaus W. Longenecker, RD. No.

4, Manheim, Pa. 17545 [22] Filed: Apr. 6, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 348,798

[52] U.S. Cl. 35/26, 35/285 [51] Int. Cl. G09b 11/10 [58] Field of Search 35/26, 28.5

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 660,363 10/1900 Clarkson 1. 35/28.5

882,463 3/1908 Griggs 1 1 1 35/26 2,712,189 7/1955 Grossman 1 1 35/26 X 2,878,590 3/1959 Dodge 35/28.5 3,365,498 1/1968 Cook 1. 35/26 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Kruse, A. Z. How To Draw And Paint" 8th Printing 1962, pp. 128-136 only Primary Examiner-Harland S. Skogquist Attorney, Agent, or FirmBrowne, Beveridge, DeGrandi & Kline [57] ABSTRACT An art kit is described comprising art board, panel or canvas, paints, guide sheets which contain representation of objects in paintings and at least one sheet containing a visual depiction of instructions for mixing paints to the canvas. The instructions are employed to instruct novice artists in the techniques of mixing paints to achieve selected colors and in applying paint to canvas, art board or panel.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEL 3.849.911

COIAOR FOR BACKGROUND PAINTING GUIDE KIT This invention relates to an oil or acrylic painting guide kit and, more particularly, to a painting kit which may be used by amateurs to learn the techniques of applying paint to canvas.

In addition, the instant art kit provides a method of allowing an amateur artist to be self-taught in the skills of applying oil or acrylic paint to canvas. In fact, the kit is designed to provide training equal to at least eight lessons in an average art class.

Over the years, there have been developed many different types of devices for aiding the unskilled artist in painting. These devices have included various sighting devices as well as the commonly known painting-bynumber techniques in which the would-be painter merely follows a numbered code to fill in different areas of a printed pattern with pigments, the result being a picture. Prior art methods are, in general, not instructive to the beginning artist who desires to become skilled at the techniques of painting, particularly oil or acrylic painting. The mere rote technique of filling in various spaces according to the number tends to become tedious and discouraging to the experienced, as well as beginning artists, without necessarily increasing their artistic skills.

using paint-by-number guides, the would-be artist is rather severely limited in his efforts to improve his skill because the essential technique of color blending is not satisfactorily taught by such methods.

It is, therefore, the object of this invention to obviate many of the disadvantages of the prior art painting kits. In particular, this invention provides an improved art kit and method for instructing beginning artists in the techniques of mixing and applying oil or acrylic paints to canvas to produce the desired picture.

Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description thereof, taken together with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view of the drawing containing a pictorial representation in color of a painting,

FIG. 2 is a view of the sheet containing an uncolored coded sketch of the drawing, and

FIG. 3 is a view of the guide sheet indicating the unit length of specific pigments to achieve the coded colors shown on the sketch sheet in FIG. 2.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, the art kit comprises a plurality of sheets, comprising at least one drawing containing a pictorial depiction in color, particularly a representation of objects colored in oil or acrylic paints or a picture of a painting, as in FIG. 1. In addition, the kit may contain at least one guide sheet indicating pictorially or by unit lengths the amounts or measure of the oil or acrylic paints of basic colors to be mixed to achieve particular shades of colors of the objects in the drawing, as in FIG. 3. With this information, the beginning artist may mix his colors in accordance with the amounts l6, l8 and 20 depicted on the guide sheet 14, and apply a mixture prepared thereby to a canvas, or any other substrate, to which he might desire to apply the motif of said drawing. In this way, the beginning artist learns the important technique of mixing basic colors to obtain various shades and hues. In actual practice and for purposes of convenience, the guide sheet, indicating the units of individcontaining a linear outline sketch of the subject of said drawing. Particularly, this third sheet represents a sketch of all the objects contained in the complete drawing or picture of a painting.

Transfer of the sketch to a canvas, or to any other substrate, may be achieved by inserting a piece of carbon paper between the canvas, or substrate, and the third sheet containing the sketch and making a carbon copy of the sketch on the canvas. Or, alternatively, the more enterprising beginning artist may sketch freehand, thereby providing an outline of the objects to be painted on the canvas, but using the sketch as a form and pictorial guide. Either manner of applying an outline to the canvas is satisfactory, since the main object of the art kit is to instruct the beginning artist in the manner and technique of mixing colors to obtain se' lected shades of colors and applying paint to canvas, rather than to particularly teach the artist the concepts of form and line. Thus, a particular objective of the drawing sheet containing a depiction of a painting when used in conjunction with the guide sheet is to give the user practice in knowning how to achieve a color contained in the depiction, or drawing of a painting by mixing the respective colors indicated in the guide sheet without any guessing. This is accomplished by measuring the lineal dimensions of a designated color according to the guide and mixing it with one or more measured lengths of different pigments together to form the desired color for application to the canvas.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of this invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and method of operation, as well as additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following detailed description thereof.

The art kit of this invention, in its commercial form, will contain the following items: at least one guide sheet; an instructional manual; paint, e.g., pigment in tubes; art board which may also comprise canvas or panels; artists brushes; a small bottle of oil; a small bottle of turpentine; and a sketch sheet. The guide sheets will take the form of a picture of a painting. The guide sheet may contain all of the elements of a complete painting, therefore being complete picture 10 in itself as in FIG. 1. Or, there may be a plurality of guide sheets wherein each sheet contains a portion of a picture of a painting. For instance, one of the successive sheets might contain only objects 11 and 12 and the painting 10. When there is a plurality of guide sheets, each containing successive portions of a painting, the summation of the guide sheets would result in a complete picture of a painting in color. The picture depicted on the guide sheet may be of simple design or of a more complicated, intricate nature. In conjunction with the guide sheets, a sketch tracing sheet may be included in the art kit. The sketch tracing sheet constitutes a sheet representing a linear outline of the pictorial representation of the painting in the guide sheets. The sketch tracing sheet may be of an opaque material and may be used with a carbon paper to transfer a facsimile of the outlined sketch to the canvas. For the less innovative beginner, a guide sheet of an uncolored coded depiction of the drawing may indicate particular areas to receive particular shades of paint as in FIG. 2. Or, the more innovative beginner art student may use the sketch tracing sheet as a guide to transfer free-hand to the canvas a sketch of the picture contained in the sketch tracing sheet. For the less innovative beginner employing the guide sheet of FIG. 2, the areas to receive particular shades of colors are expressly set forth. These areas are coded to correspond to colors formed as in FIG. 3.

In addition to the above, an instruction manual is generally included in the art kit. The instruction manual describes the method of mixing paints to achieve the various shadings of color in the objects of the paint ing contained in the guide sheets. The manual may comprise one or more of a series of sheets 14 as shown in FIG. 3. Rather than allowing the beginning artist to guess at the proportions of component colors in a particular shade of color, the instruction sheet dictates employing certain exact lengths or measures 16, 18, 20 of each pigment color component in a shade or color by containing a pictorial representation as in FIG. 3. Particularly, in one embodiment, the instruction manual may require that inches or fractions of inches of paint squeezed from a tube of paint be mixed. By way of example, if a particular shade of purple were to be acquired, the instruction manual might instruct the user to measure one-quarter inch of red 16, onehalf inch of blue 18, and three-quarters of an inch of zinc white 20, and thereafter require mixing of the previously measured lengths of pigment prior to application to the canvas.

In using the art kit of this invention, the first step the beginning artist will take is to peruse the instruction manual. In addition to pictorially indicating measures of various basic colors to be used to produce shades of coloring, the instruction manual contains helpful hints concerning mixing paints, finding materials for palettes, and the like. By using an art kit containing a plurality of guide sheets, it becomes evident to the user that the background and background objects are painted first. Then, the objects of lesser prominence are painted onto the background with respect to the background objects while the more prominent objects of the picture depicted in the painting are painted lastly. Such facts become apparent to the beginning artist when successive guide sheets, containing individual portions of the painting, are included in the art kit. It becomes evident from the successive portions of the guide sheets, for instance, that the last touchings on the paintings are the highlighting. Such a process of using the art kit of the instant invention, teaches the beginning artist an appreciation for the actual methods employed in applying paints to canvas which the paint-by number method cannot do.

Once the beginning artist has made a sketch of the drawing on the canvas, he may refer to the instruction manual to determine which colors are to be combined to form various shades of coloring of objects contained in the guide sheet, which is a depiction of a painting.

For the true beginner learning the rudiments of applying paints to a canvas, a series of guide sheets are employed, rather than one guide sheet containing the whole depiction of a painting. However, in some cases one guide sheet would be ample. By employing a series of guide sheets, the beginner is taught certain rudi-' ments. If, for example, the picture to be reproduced on cavnas comprised a fruit bowl containing fruit against a background, the first guide sheet would contain the background and a bowl. By referring to the instruction manual, the beginner would mix the appropriate paints to form the shading and apply the mixed paint to the canvas in the appropriate areas delineated by the sketch on the canvas. After allowing that step of the painting to dry, the user would follow the next guide sheet to paint the fruit in the bowl which was relatively in the background with respect to the fruit nearest the viewer. Thereafter, the next guuide sheet would contain the fruits which were more prominent, and in the foreground of the painting. The last guide sheet might contain the areas which were to be highlighted. In instances where one guide sheet is used, the instruction manual would provide details of the painting process, as it relates to given areas or objects as shown on the guide sheet.

The kit is provided with tubes of paints, at least tubes of the three primary colors, and black and white. As long as the same colors are employed, paints other than those provided in the kit may be used. As for the manner of measuring the amount of paints to be mixed, it is within the scope of this invention that indication of unit lengths of a ribbon of paint squeezed from the tube comprise the method of instructing the amount of individual paints to be employed in mixing a particular shade. For instance, the manual may indicate in a pictorial representation onequarter inch of blue ribbon, mixed with one-quarter inch of white ribbon as in FIG. 3. Or, a palette could be included which contained pictorial representation of lengths to which the user would apply ribbons of paint and thereafter proceed to mix those lengths of ribbon.

Thus, it is apparent that there has been provided, in accordance with the invention, an art kit that fully satisfies the objects, aims, and advantages set forth above. While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations would be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, and variations as fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An art kit, for aid in applying paint to art board, canvas, or panel, including a plurality of sheets comprising a. a sheet which is a depiction of a completed painting, containing representations of objects colored in paint;

b. at least one guide sheet containing a coded drawing representing the depiction of element (a), wherein the code of said coded drawing corresponds to the color shades of objects in said element (a);

c. a guide sheet indicating the code in elements (b) and the amounts of basic colors to be mixed to achieve said respective color shade;

whereby basic colors are mixed in accordance with element (0) to obtain shades of color in accordance with the code of element (c) corresponding to the objects coded in element (b) and applied to an art board, canvas or panel to produce at least a portion of element (a), and

d. at least one opaque guide sheet containing a linear outline sketch of the subject of said painting which linear outline sketch may be transferred to said art board, canvas or panel.

2. The art kit of claim 1, which further includes an art board, canvas or panel; and paints in a variety of colors corresponding to the colors contained in element in claim 1.

3. An art kit, for aid in applying paint to art board, canvas, or panel, including a plurality of sheets comprising,

a. a sheet which is a depiction of a completed painting; containing representations of objects colored in paint; b. at least one guide sheet containing a coded drawing representing the depiction of element (a), wherein the code of said coded drawing corresponds to the color shades of objects in said element (a);

c. a guide sheet indicating the code in elements (b) and the amounts of basic colors to be mixed to achieve said respective color shade;

whereby basic colors are mixed in accordance with element (c) to obtain shades of color in accordance with the code of element (c) corresponding to the objects coded in element (b) and applied to an art board, canvas or panel to produce at least a portion of element (a), and

d. a series of sheets containing a plurality of drawings containing successive representations of portions of element (a), wherein a summation of said plural ity of drawings represents the depiction in element a); and

e. at least one opaque sheet containing a linear outboard, canvas or panel; and paints in a variety of colors corresponding to the colors contained in element (c) in claim 3. i

5. A method of applying paint to art board, canvas or panel comprising 1. providing an art kit of claim 3; 2. providing an art board, canvas or panel; 3. providing paints in colors corresponding to the basic colors of element (c) of the art kit; 4. transferring the linear outline sketch of element (e) of the art kit to said art board, canvas or panel;

5. selecting l one of the drawings of element ((1) of the art kit and (2) a portion of the coded drawing element (b) of the art kit corresponding to the selected portion of element ((1);

6. mixing paints in accordance with element (c) to achieve a color shade corresponding to objects contained in the coded drawing element (b);

7. applying the resulting mixed paints to an area on the art board, canvas or panel corresponding to the coded drawing.

6. the process of claim 5, wherein the steps 5, 6, 7,

and 8 are repeated, whereby the painting on the art board, canvas or panel substantially corresponds to element (a) of the art kit.

* l= l l 

1. An art kit, for aid in applying paint to art board, canvas, or panel, including a plurality of sheets comprising a. a sheet which is a depiction of a completed painting, containing representations of objects colored in paint; b. at least one guide sheet containing a coded drawing representing the depiction of element (a), wherein the code of said coded drawing corresponds to the color shades of objects in said element (a); c. a guide sheet indicating the code in elements (b) and the amounts of basic colors to be mixed to achieve said respective color shade; whereby basic colors are mixed in accordance with element (c) to obtain shades of color in accordance with the code of element (c) corresponding to the objects coded in element (b) and applied to an art board, canvas or panel to produce at least a portion of element (a), and d. at least one opaque guide sheet containing a linear outline sketch of the subject of said painting which linear outline sketch may be transferred to said art board, canvas or panel.
 2. providing an art board, canvas or panel;
 2. The art kit of claim 1, which further includes an art board, canvas or panel; and paints in a variety of colors corresponding to the colors contained in element (c) in claim
 1. 3. providing paints in colors corresponding to the basic colors of element (c) of the art kit;
 3. An art kit, for aid in applying paint to art board, canvas, or panel, including a plurality of sheets comprising, a. a sheet which is a depiction of a completed painting; containing representations of objects colored in paint; b. at least one guide sheet containing a coded drawing representing the depiction of element (a), wherein the code of said coded drawing corresponds to the color shades of objects in said element (a); c. a guide sheet indicating the code in elements (b) and the amounts of basic colors to be mixed to achieve said respective color shade; whereby basic colors are mixed in accordance with element (c) to obtain shades of color in accordance with the code of element (c) corresponding to the objects coded in element (b) and applied to an art board, canvas or panel to produce at least a portion of element (a), and d. a series of sheets containing a plurality of drawings containIng successive representations of portions of element (a), wherein a summation of said plurality of drawings represents the depiction in element (a); and e. at least one opaque sheet containing a linear outline sketch of the subject of said painting which linear outline sketch may be transferred to said art board, canvas or panel.
 4. transferring the linear outline sketch of element (e) of the art kit to said art board, canvas or panel;
 4. The art kit of claim 3, which further includes an art board, canvas or panel; and paints in a variety of colors corresponding to the colors contained in element (c) in claim
 3. 5. A method of applying paint to art board, canvas or panel comprising
 5. selecting (1) one of the drawings of element (d) of the art kit and (2) a portion of the coded drawing element (b) of the art kit corresponding to the selected portion of element (d);
 6. The process of claim 5, wherein the steps 5, 6, 7, and 8 are repeated, whereby the painting on the art board, canvas or panel substantially corresponds to element (a) of the art kit.
 6. mixing paints in accordance with element (c) to achieve a color shade corresponding to objects contained in the coded drawing element (b);
 7. applying the resulting mixed paints to an area on the art board, canvas or panel corresponding to the coded drawing. 